A former emergency medicine doctor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center was sentenced to one to three years in prison on Wednesday after stealing about $1.5 million from the hospital using a business credit card.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, together with New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang, identified the defendant as Dr. Michael Lucchesi, 67, of Staten Island. The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree grand larceny on June 13, 2025.

Lucchesi was the chairman of Emergency Medicine at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and at various points was the acting head of Downstate Hospital and the medical school, and was the chief medical officer.

According to the investigation, the defendant spent approximately $1.44 million that included cash advances of approximat

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